Super Monday Instructor: D. Brent Walton: Getting in the Business of Creating

Like many who are professional photographers now, D. Brent Walton, CPP, of Photography by DB Walton in Palmyra, N.Y., has been passionate about photography since his childhood. However, he never considered turning pro until 2000 when a friend asked him to photograph his daughter's wedding. (And even then, it wasn't his idea!)

Walton's wife noticed his passion and enthusiasm when he was capturing the wedding, and she suggested that he start his own photography business. "Knowing I had her full support, I jumped at the opportunity!" he recalls.

Since opening that business, Walton has found success as a portrait photographer in part because of his ability to capture fashion and "beauty-style" portraits. That focus on beauty runs throughout all his work. In fact, he's even adopted the tag line of "capturing beauty" because he believes there is "something beautiful in all people."

In addition to his portrait work, Walton recently completed a series of photographs that will be published in several 2012 issues of The Friend, a children's magazine. The project involved traveling to four different cities and photographing children in those areas. He sees it as one of his biggest accomplishments, largely because he was able to navigate the tricky steps of negotiating a contract.

"The biggest challenge of the job was that contract. The photography was simply the icing on the cake," he says.

Still, like all photographers, Walton says that he is constantly challenged by the over-saturation of photographers in the market. Along with educating himself about the latest technology, he overcomes this hurdle by creating unique sets and props to set his portraits apart even more.

"As photographers, we can fall into the trap of thinking, 'If I only had this, then I could do that,'" says Walton. "But we are in the business of creating. We do not need to wait for the latest software or gadget. If you don't have it and can't afford it, then create it."

Want to learn Walton's techniques for creating those props and backdrops? Attend his "Creating 3-D Backdrops" Super Monday class on May 16 in Palmyra, N.Y.

There, you'll learn how to create 3-D props and backgrounds for your studio that don't cost thousands of dollars or require a huge studio to house them. Instead, you'll use readily available supplies and materials!

"You do not have to be stuck in a virtual world of electronic photo-manipulation. Coming to this class will help you create real sets that have real depth, and you'll enjoy your creation with each photo session thereafter," he adds.

Super Monday is an educational program sponsored by PPA every spring and fall. These daylong, interactive workshops are conducted in locations around the country, allowing PPA members to earn merits for sharing their craft and enabling all photographers to learn new skills and develop professional networking contacts.